Parks Canada Requests Certification Guidelines from RCABC

Parks Canada, Paddle Canada, RCABC and other provincial canoe and kayak organizations are working on creating guidelines for canoeing certification requirements when leading trips in National Parks. In other words, if a guide, teacher or club were running a trip in a National Park, Parks Canada would require the leader(s) to have a minimum certification level that RCABC will recommend and they will approve at some point in the future. Their stated purpose is to reduce their liability.

Our Vice President and Instructor Coordinator have been working on these guidelines since last year. In late January, 2014 there was a new request from the coastal Parks Canada administration (includes only Pacific Rim and Gulf Islands NPs) . This was triggered through a request to lead a school group canoe trip into a National Park area. Parks Canada has been committed to working with all provincial and national organizations with the goal of determining the best certification guidelines that each organization has to offer.